


Always Another Way

by xswestallen



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: 4x18 Lose Yourself, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fix-It, Light Angst, The WestAllen scene we deserved!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-18
Updated: 2018-04-18
Packaged: 2019-04-24 12:07:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 882
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14355117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xswestallen/pseuds/xswestallen
Summary: A re-write of the scene at the end of 4x18 where Iris finds Barry mourning in Ralph's office.





	Always Another Way

"Hey." Iris said as she stood in the doorway of Ralph Dibny's office.

Barry was inside, going through Ralph's files and adding some to an already substantial pile on the desk. The lights were off and Iris could tell Barry wanted to keep it that way, so she walked into the shadowy room 

Barry glanced at her and have her a shy smile that lasted less than a second. He went back to sorting the files.

"Want some help?" Iris offered.

"No, I need to unpack this myself."

"Ok." Iris sat down on the sofa. She could physically feel the pain Barry was going through. It killed her not being able to ease his pain. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No."

"Ok."

An uncomfortable silence fell between them. Barry moved a few more of Ralph's files from the filing cabinet to the pile on the desk. He stared at the files for a second, wiping his brow.

"It's my fault, Iris." He whispered.

"Barry, it's not your fault. It's nobody's fault but Devoe's."

"It is my fault!" Barry slammed his fist against the wall. "Ralph had him! Devoe was down and Ralph had him! If it wasn't for me talking him out of it, he would have killed Devoe! He'd still be alive!"

Iris was shocked. "Bear, what are you saying? You wish Ralph had become a killer?"

Barry let out a heavy sigh before confessing the truth, "I do."

He leaned his head against the wall. Iris could tell he was determinately not looking at her. She walked over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. His body was tense. 

"Why did I talk him out of killing Devoe?"

"Because you know that killing is never the answer. You are so powerful, and your compassion is one of your greatest powers, so you know there is always another way of stopping the bad guy."

Barry turned to look at Iris. Tears swam in his eyes. "What if there isn't this time? Devoe is too dangerous to keep locked in the pipeline. Iron Heights can't handle him. No matter what kind of prison we trap him in, Devoe will think his way out of it. He has an escape plan for every possible capture. What are we going to do?"

Iris felt hollow. She looked from the floor back to Barry. "I don't know." 

"Why would killing Devoe be so bad? Oliver's killed. Joe's killed."

"We've been over this, Barry." Iris said. She cupped her husband's face with her uninjured hand. "Oliver regrets killing. My dad has only killed when was forced to, in self defense. He never went into a situation planning to kill. If we decide that we're going to kill Devoe, it won't be self defense. It will be vengeance."

Barry closed his eyes, soaking in her words.

"You are not a killer, Barry Allen! You are a hero, who always finds a way to down the worst of threats without killing. You are a true hero because your heart is pure. Your soul is unburdened. You are the good guy. You are The Flash!"

Barry nodded. When his eyes met hers, a tear leaked out. "We are."

Iris smiled. She let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding in. Her heart softened.

"It's moments like these when I couldn't do this without you." Barry reminded her.

"I'll always be here for you." Iris promised him. 

Barry pulled Iris closer. Her lips grazed his jaw as she melted into him.

"I should be the one helping you." Barry said. "How's your arm?"

"It's fine."

"Did you really stab yourself with Marlize's sword?"

"I had to. It was the only way I could distract her and get you guys out of Devoe's pocket dimension." Recounted Iris. 

"Thank you for bringing me home. But, you don't have to get hurt doing it. As someone very wise once said, there's always another way." 

Iris looked up at him with starry eyes. Barry's thumb traced circles on her cheek.

"Someone very wise, meaning Harry?" Iris teased.

"Someone very wise and Harry." Barry corrected. "What's going on with him anyway?"

Iris huffed. "I don't even want to know."

She smiled at Barry, but behind his eyes, Iris could see he was regressing from the light hearted shift in their conversation back to his dark thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"I'm thinking about something Ralph said. He wasn't afraid of what Devoe might do to him. He was afraid of what Devoe could do to us." Barry chocked. "Ralph said our team is his family and Devoe can't have us."

Iris felt an extra pang of grief for Ralph. Frustrating as he could be to work with, he was part of the family. 

"I'm going to protect you. All of you." Barry declared. "That's how we honor Ralph's memory, by protecting each other by any means necessary, except killing. Just like Ralph would have wanted."

Iris nodded in agreement. She stood on her tip toes to reach Barry's lips for a kiss. It was tender and comforting, but also firm and reassuring.

As their lips parted, Barry brushed a strand of hair off Iris' face. He looked at her in awe. His wife, his everything.

"Devoe can't have you."


End file.
